Interruptions to IT services can have a dramatic impact on your business. And, let’s face it, they can strike at any moment. In some cases, you might have to deal with a natural disaster. In others, a careless or inexperienced employee might push a wrong button.
Either way, the impact it can have will be significant. You will lose sales and prospects. Your website could be down for days. And if you provide a service to your customers, they could end up being furious. It is essential, then, that you have a robust recovery plan in place so your business can continue.
Today, we’re going to take a look at how to create the perfect plan and be prepared for anything. Let’s dive in with some of the basics.
Getting started
First of all, set some time aside to develop your plan. It can be a daunting task, and there are may scenarios and situations you will need to mull over. Hiring a specialist is advisable if you lack in experience, as there is a lot to take on board. You’ll need to look at everything you need to keep the business running. That includes everything from servers through to emails, and computers through to databases. You will also need to work out a communication plan – as well as a training schedule to ensure your employees know what to do.
The structure
Business recovery plans can be complicated – even for small businesses. However, no matter how large or small your organization, there are some basics you always need to include. You’ll need an introduction to highlight your objectives and reasoning. Highlighting roles and responsibilities is also critical. Finally, you should include details of the procedures you will use to action your disaster recovery plan. It is essential that you lay these out, step-by-step, for every IT function you use.
The services
You also need to go through a thorough research process to decide on the most suitable services to use. It is critical to protect your business with disaster recovery services. But, it is equally as important to choose a service that works well for your business. Cloud services might work for some, as an example. But other firms with different security concerns may find a better solution on an off-site server.
Monitoring and evaluating
The key to a successful disaster recovery plan is to ensure it always works. That means you should monitor and assess your plan at regular intervals. There will be plenty of changes to make as your business progresses, and you start using new systems and processes. Get into the habit of doing this sooner rather than later. Many small businesses are guilty of creating a great recovery plan, but fail to update it. And when a disaster occurs, they just aren’t prepared.
Training
Finally, ensure you are training employees, so they know what to do in the event of an emergency. Get your training right, and when disaster strikes, the process should click into place without a hint of trouble.